About Historic England
What is Historic England?
Historic England describes itself as "the public body that looks after England's historic environment," one that "champion[s] historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them." Formed in 2015, it lists and protects historic buildings and sites, gives expert planning and conservation advice, supports heritage at risk, funds repair and research, and maintains the public archive of England's historic environment.
Its work is national in scope and unusually varied: heritage protection and listing, archaeology, planning casework, curatorial and archive work, grants, research, communications and corporate services all sit under one organisation. (Historic England is distinct from English Heritage, the charity that runs the visitor sites — though, helpfully, Historic England staff get free entry to those sites.)
Where will I work?
Hybrid. Historic England runs a network of offices across England — including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Swindon and York — and its job adverts offer "different working locations, including hybrid working," blending office, home and on-site work. Individual roles are typically anchored to one or more of these offices with home-working built in.
What is the Historic England team like?
Around 1,100 staff across heritage protection, listing, planning advice, archaeology, curatorial and archive work, grants, research, communications, finance and corporate services. It is a mission-driven public body where specialist expertise — historians, archaeologists, surveyors, planners, archivists — works alongside the operational and corporate teams that keep a national organisation running. Recruitment is run through the Applied platform using skills-based, anonymised review.
Work-Life Balance
Historic England is openly supportive of flexible working. Its job adverts state it is open to "job sharing, part-time working, compressed hours working and different working locations, including hybrid working." Compressed hours is one of several opt-in arrangements. Annual leave starts at "28 days holiday" and rises with service to 30 days after two years and 33 days after five, on top of bank holidays — and the rewards package includes additional and enhanced family leave, paid emergency leave and sabbatical opportunities.
Perks and Benefits
- Compressed hours working — one of several flexible options (job share, part-time, hybrid).
- Civil Service Pension Scheme — adverts cite "pension scheme starting at 28.97% employer contributions."
- Generous annual leave — 28 days rising to 33 with service, plus bank holidays.
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, additional parental leave and paid emergency leave.
- Sabbatical opportunities.
- Employee Assistance Programme and wellness programs.
- Free entry to English Heritage sites across the country, plus corporate discounts.
- Cycle-to-work scheme and salary-sacrifice benefits.
- Professional development, mentoring and coaching, payroll giving, and team social events and clubs.